Freelancer Alpha 1-1
by NGTM-R
Summary: A somewhat older, more worldly Edison Trent's logs. First day on the job for this LSF secret agent lady? Donau getting blown up? Rogues all over the place? Oh god, what have I gotten into?
1. The Fall

"Essay 14, we're picking up unknown contacts on long-range sensors. We're dispatching a fighter wing to escort you out of the system."

"Do you always leave that thing on?"

"It's a Freeport. They enforce a no-fighting rule on the station, but right outside the docking bay you could have Corsairs and Outcasts throwing down. It's worth knowing what local space traffic is and is doing." This guy must not get out to the Freeports very often.

* * *

><p>"President Jacobi has asked the LSF to investigate the sudden destruction of Freeport 7. No word yet on whether it was accidental or a deliberate attack...<p>

* * *

><p>"Alert! Unknown ships have breached the perimeter! Man all stations!"<p>

Guy owes me money. Well, he'd better come too then. Start dragging him in a half-run for the launch bays.

Never actually heard that sound before. Not in person anyways. I've heard it on sim tapes. It's never a good sound, the sound of a torpedo impact...

The door won't open. FUCK! There's vacuum on the other side, we're deep in the station, that shuddering...the station's gotta be coming apart. There's an escape pod rack a deck down. Gotta move!

* * *

><p>"Officially the Liberty Security Force maintains there is no proof Freeport 7's destruction is deliberate..."<p>

* * *

><p>Not deliberate my ass. No ship. No money. Can't fly. Can't run anything. Can't even fight, not that I ever did much of that. Can't get any worse.<p> 


	2. Donau

Dad used to say that as long as you don't care if you sell your soul to do it, you can get anything you want.

He was probably right. All I want is a ship. All I need to do to get it is to put myself in debt to Liberty Security Force commander name of Jun'ko Zane, alias "Juni", which I can probably work off running a few missions for her. Combat missions.

Told her I'd think about it. I'm going to say yes, a pilot without a ship is a waste of space, but I've gotta work myself up to it. Never liked flying combat.

The Rheinlander cruiser _Donau_ is due in pretty soon, too. Big peace overture while Rheinland is busy screwing around in the Border Worlds against treaty.

Told Juni yes. It's a simple job now, low-risk, escort food and medical supplies via the trade lane route from Fort Bush to Pittsburgh, through the debris fields. Convoy has a regular escort flight but they're a man short, regs say they need four and they only have three. She gave me an old Starflyer; a couple of Justice guns, Mark 1s. Nothing to be proud of, but it's a ship, and it'll handle decently in a furball if that happens.

I'm supposed to meet the patrol, Gamma 6, spaceside. Or at least its CO, King; the other half of it's at Fort Bush.

* * *

><p>The <em>Donau<em> was there when I launched.

The _Donau_ is dead. Five fighters, superheavies; I didn't recognize the type. They killed it with a missile volley and then jumped the escorts.

"Newark Station this is Liberty Security Patrol Gamma 6! We are engaging the enemy!"

And suddenly I'm right there, back in the combat sims, and there's a superheavy in front of me and I'm pounding his tail. His shields are down and he's trailing bits of superheated armor material. He's tough, but he can't shake me. I know he can't shake me, the same way I know where my limbs are without looking, the same way I know how to breathe.

I never liked combat. He's tough, tough enough that ordinarily he'd be able to just ignore a gnat like me. He'd jump to Cruise and we'd never see him again. But King hit him with a cruise disruptor. He's not going anywhere. He still ignores me, and turns to fight King, salvoing heavy guns. King catches a couple shots, and they knock him around a bit, his Patriot light fighter makes him a hard target.

Keep pounding. Something flares; the superheavy's drive chamber is breached. He's leaking plasma. He suddenly realizes that he HAS to pay attention to the Starflyer in his aft arc and starts jinking.

"Newark, we need support here!"

"Gamma 6, interceptors are scrambling. The _Colorado_ and its escort are inbound."

But he can't shake me. His left wing snaps off at the root. He starts to tumble out of control. A series of my shots go through the hole his wing left. One of them hits something explosive. The superheavy tears apart.

"Freelancer Alpha, splash one." Calm. Controlled.

I never liked combat. Because this fighter pilot stuff? I'm _really fucking good at it._ And killing people isn't the most honorable of professions, no matter how you slice it. Hell, I don't even have a cause I'm doing it for to hide behind.

It takes less than five seconds to glue myself to the tail of another superheavy who's tangling with one of the _Donau_'s escorts. I work the superheavy down to almost nothing, but the Rheinlander gets the kill with a cockpit shot. Fine by me, I already have another target. He's shields-down and dragging his ass, a stream of flame coming out of the base of his tailplane. I hammered at the source with my guns. Make it quick and clean, go for the damage.

His fuel tanks went up and he blew apart. "Freelancer Alpha, splash two."

"This is Newark Station. Radar is clear. SAR, report. Did you recover any survivors from the _Donau_?"

Deep breaths. Try to control the panting. I wasn't panting a moment before. My hands are shaking. You only shake when you're safe. Adrenaline crash. "Trent, King. That was a hell of a show you just put on. Two out of five with the lightest thing on the field."

"Acknowledged, King. We've got a convoy to catch." I don't want to talk about it, okay? Let's just move on.

"Roger, uploading coordinates."


	3. Trent Didn't Start The Feud

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats. Philosopher's quote old enough to predate Sirius. But then, there's just being a dick.

You've reached the point of pure dickishness when you start stealing food you don't need. Yeah, sure, there are two truisms to spaceside: everybody's gotta eat, and everybody's gotta breathe. But the Rogues have food; I should know, I ran to Buffalo Base a couple of times with people looking to work there. So they disrupted the trade lane and came at us in the Pittsburgh debris field. And this is one combat action I'll have no problems with, scratch four. King wanted to know why I didn't mention I was a hot hand with a fighter.

Didn't feel like bragging, I said. Not true, but hell, he doesn't need to know my head. The Rogues have a base, he thinks, and he asked me to sign on for a flight to hunt it down. I never liked the Rogues, honestly. They were bitchy about my runs, and they never gave the impression they had their shit together. The Lane Hackers, the Blood Dragons, the Corsairs? Those guys come at you, tight formations, accurate fire. They know what they're doing, they're disciplined, if they say "drop the cargo" then you drop the cargo. The Rogues...they're just a bunch of assholes too antisocial or psychotic to live in normal society, and too useful to the big boys for local knowledge or cannon fodder to kill off.

And it was a Rogue that killed Tristan on my first run to Liberty, all those years ago.

Never decided I needed to settle that score. But the Rogues ain't happy with me now that I'm lighting them up anyways. Settling accounts now is as good a reason as any other.

* * *

><p>That prison ship looks bad. Venting on at least three decks, several fires. Rogues attacking it probably want to rescue their friends, but they've got just as good a chance of killing them all with the way they attacked it. Morons and sociopaths combined is not a good anything.<p>

I picked up another gun on Pittsburgh, a Starpulse laser. Amazing how much difference one gun makes; they were going down like flies. Six kills out of ten, with three other fighters on the field, all of them Liberty Patriots that are nominally better than mine. King wants to know how I ever lost a ship. I told him I wasn't in it at the time. The Rogues came in on a vector, and knowing how dumb they are it's a direct line to their base.

* * *

><p>They were that stupid. The base...two weapons platforms and an armored depot. Not big. Lots of defending fighters. I splashed two, they were too interested in me, but mostly I went for the platforms and the base. It was too heavily armored for my guns to even make a dent, but the defensive turrets were more vulnerable and when the LSF brought in torpedo-armed fighters to kill the base, they could make their runs in peace.<p>

King was impressed. So was Juni. I hate to think I'm doing this for a pretty face, but the truth is she _does_ have a pretty face, and a pretty tight-fitting uniform jumpsuit. I'm not even thirty yet. Granted there was Tristan, but...hell if I know what Tristan was to me besides a fine second seater. We never worked that out.

Picked up a gun off one of the dead Rogue fighters while I was casting around the field for anything I might want. It ought to be worth something, if it's not better than what I have. King said I should talk to DSE or the Liberty Police Incorporated guys for jobs. I don't feel like running more combat missions right now, thanks. I don't have jump codes out of the system; Juni wants to keep me close.

Heh.

Gonna fly around a bit, get a feel for the place. I haven't been to Manhattan in years.


	4. Welcome to the Big Leagues, Trent

"Another combat mission?"

Juni isn't happy. Well, that's not the exercise here. "Look, Trent, what's the matter with you? You're not a coward. You're not bad at this either. King had me do a background check to make sure you weren't some commando after your first couple actions. You've been around the block in the last four years and you've logged your share of kills, nothing like last night."

"Don't like killing people. Imagine you woke up one morning and discovered...I don't know, you were really good at sleeping your problems away. It's like that. I'm good at it. I don't like it." Probably a bad call. Looks like she's winding up to punch me. Step back... Ow. Not far enough. "The fuck, Zane? I'm not being literal. It's analogy. I'd take King for that much of a knuckledragger, not you."

"I was checking if you had a reset button. You owe me Trent." Ah, there's the whip hand. "Look, you have to capture a guy, not kill anyone. But I'll be honest with you; we're not fighting nice people. You may not like killing them but they like trying to kill you or other folks. People are alive, happy, healthy, because of our willingness to do violence. That's what it means to be working with the LSF."

"He's a smuggler. Not an Outcast or a Red Hessian." I object.

"That's why we're talking him down soft. Come on Trent, suck it up. One mission. You'll see I'm right." She's...trying to be reassuring?

And I'm trying to feel reassured. Don't be stupid me. She's Liberty Security Force, she plays people for a living. But she's right. I owe her. "Okay.

She pats my shoulder. Her hand lingers a moment, to my surprise. And though she covers it so fast I'm not sure I actually saw it, I think it surprised her too.

* * *

><p>"We've set up a trap at Pueblo Station." Juni's voice. I haven't seen her fly yet. I know she has a ship, I've seen it; a Liberty Navy Defender. I've just never seen her fly it. Still, she is a Commander, she only turns up for the really important stuff in person I expect. "You're the backstop. If he gets past Pueblo, you need to stop him. Scan everything that comes out of the Trade Lane from Pueblo."<p>

A few silent moments as we position ourselves. "Convoy. There, that Patriot. He's squawking DSE. DSE-" King starts.

"-doesn't use Patriots. I'm on it." I finish. Patriot. Liberty Navy and Police light fighter. Much more agile than a Rogue Bloodhound. Close end from his aft. "Unknown Deep Space Engineering convoy, this Freelancer Alpha One Dash One, I have orders from the Liberty Security Force to scan your cargo."

The two big transports keep plodding along. The guy in the Patriot...twitches. Just a tiny motion of his ship, like he involuntarily tightened his grip on the stick and shifted just a little bit... Okay, he's tense. Lots of people get tense when scanned. This is Liberty and the LPI don't have a great reputation for being solid, non-corrupt police.

But if he's tense, I'm tense. Hit the scan switch. A hold...full of contraband alien artifacts.

Son of a bitch.

"Unknown DSE Patriot, _cut your engines_." And he's off to the races, going to max power and kicking in his burners. "King, we got a live one!"

The Patriot guy can shake me, something he owes to his ship rather than his skills. He gets some shots off in return but he's not feeling too happy about it as I'm cutting him to shreds and he can't manage to actually get behind me. His engines go _pop_. King orders him to surrender or be destroyed. He starts...he starts whining over the channel at us about who he is, his lawyers, etc. He's not Ashcroft. Ashcroft doesn't sound this petulant.

Great. We caught some _other_ artifact smuggler. Then Juni's on the comm. "King, Trent! Ashcroft broke through our forces at Pueblo. We've lost contact with the station. Get there as fast as you can!"

Holy hell.

* * *

><p>Pueblo's still there. I can see it from the trade lane before we arrive. It looks reasonably intact, it's not wreckage or breaking up...<p>

Then we exit the trade lane. Pueblo is venting from literally every habitable space on the station. King voices what we're both thinking with a "Dear God."

"Pueblo, what's your status?" King asks.

I'm not sure I expect Pueblo to actually answer; it seems inconceivable anyone on the station is still alive. But answer it does. "We have fires on multiple decks, life support is failing, and half the crew is dead or wounded! We're tracking six hostiles, defense grid is down, and we can't take much more!"

"Trent, go for the ones attacking the station." King orders.

"Roger." Is this what Juni meant? God, what have I gotten myself into? Three Rogues are attacking the station. Three others have turned towards us. I pick two targets, trading fire with one coming at me as I head towards the station. His shields pop, and I hammer his cockpit until it cracks. His ship goes past on a ballistic course, pilot dead. "Freelancer Alpha, splash one."

The next guy is slow to realize he has a hostile in his aft arc and dies in seconds. The other two break off from the station attack to come after me then, but don't last much longer. King takes his two down efficiently enough.

"Pueblo, what happened?"

"They didn't come out of the trade lane; in from one of the asteroid fields. The transports ran into the Silverton Field, but we tagged one with a tracking device before it got away. Uploading now. Good hunting, LSF."

"They _will_ pay for this, Pueblo." King promises.

Pueblo had a population of twelve hundred. Six hundred of them are dead or hurt. God, this really is what Juni meant. Welcome to the big leagues, Trent. We play for keeps here.

"Trent, we've gotta stop Ashcroft. You with me?"

"...Yeah I am King. Give me coords."

* * *

><p>"King, what happened?" Juni demands.<p>

King lays it out, but not completely. "Zane," I add, "Pueblo Station got hit hard. They lost life support to almost half their decks."

"Copy. I'm ordering the _Rio Grande_ to Pueblo and having them scramble several fighter wings to support you. Don't be crazy, either of you. Wait for the backup."

We're not too far out. Juni or not, those Navy pukes better show up soon because if Ashcroft is willing to kill hundreds of people to smuggle some stupid artifacts that just look pretty and _aren't even worth that much money-_

Calm, Trent. You've gotta stay calm. "There's an old Ageria Tech facility in the middle of the field, they're hanging out there King."

"How do you know?"

"Because if I was him, that's where I'd be. We're coming up on it...Four Bloodhounds, two transports! Here we go!" Roll into a fight with four Rogue fighters. These are definitely a better class of Rogue; they seem to know how to actually use their ships. These guys may be the first serious pilots I've met in Liberty and it's actually proving a challenge to keep my shields up. Taps on the burners and wild maneuvering, taking quick shots where I can.

"This is Navy flight Zeta to LSF Gamma Six, you boys need some help?"

"Obliged Zeta. We're looking for a criminal named Ashcroft - we want him alive." King says.

"Copy." Oh, but those Defenders tear it up. Big, slow-firing plasma cannon; weapons that favor marksmen, and these Navy pilots are marksmen, shredding the Bloodhounds with precise fire in head-to-heads, covering each other from the more maneuverable Bloodhounds with the classics of scissors and Thatch Weave.

"There's Ashcroft-he's activating cruise engines! Disruptor firi-miss!"

Dammit, King! "Going to cruise, we can't let him get away." King jumps to cruise after me. The Navy wing leaves one pilot to sit on the transports and vector in another wing to them and they're after us.

Silverton Field's full of little bits of stone, bouncing off my shields as I go. It scares novices, moving at cruise through a field like this, but you get used to it. "Coming up on the second half of that Ageria facility."

"You know this place pretty well." King observes.

"I had to hide from some Xenos in here once." I reply. How I first met the Rogues and took a couple jobs from them, four years ago. "There's a disturbance around here somewhere, never got close, but it could be a jump hole. Can't let him get to that."

"Copy-there he is! Trent, get Ashcroft!" The Navy guys have my back. Never been so happy to have a wing of Navy fighters around before. Ashcroft tries to fake his surrender at one point, but I keep firing; he punches out. A tractor beam later and one more Rogue fighter who comes blazing at me and we're headed back to New York. Juni's waiting.

King's hoping this'll help about the issues with the artifact trade when Ashcroft talks. I don't care; this guy was willing to mass murder to smuggle some lousy rocks. Flush him out an airlock.

Juni calls us up, wanting to know if we're all right. We are. She's worried King killed the suspect. "Negative," King replies. "Trent's got him on ice in his cargo hold. It's better than he deserves."

"He'll get what he deserves, but in the meantime, he'll tell us what we need to know to prevent this ever happening again." Juni replies. "Meet me on Manhattan. And be aware some of the Rogues might try to spring him before you get here. Juni out."

* * *

><p>We're going to the <em>Missouri<em>, in a change of plans. It's near Zone 21; the Liberty Navy's testing and training ground, no civvies allowed. Okay.

We exit the trade lane near Fort Bush. It's empty. No traffic. No police wing up-damn. Rogues. King bitches out Fort Bush. I focus on killing the enemy and get two before Fort Bush coats the area in a fine layer of police Patriots. The Rogues must be desperate to get or get rid of what Ashcroft knows if they're willing to do what they just did.

The _Missouri_ queries us. King answers, then breaks off to help a convoy somewhere. Juni's waiting on the flight deck. She brought a squad of Navy heavies. I don't particularly mind that. "He's unconscious in my hold. All yours."

Juni waves the heavies on. "The bounty, and the jumpgate codes...plus an extra bonus. You did a good job out there. You deserve it."

"What happens to Ashcroft?" As much fun as it is to eye Juni, there's a Defender too. And if I'm going to keep doing this job...I need bigger guns. A Defender and some of those Lavablades would be a good start.

"He'll be interrogated. I've got to go on assignment, but don't go far. I might need you again soon." She's definitely playing me this time. Ah well, we're both more in control it appears.

I turned to catch her attention as she walked by. "Juni...if you're gonna keep this up, with me flying combat for you this way, what'll it take to get me into one of those Defenders?"

She smiles. "I think I can manage it before I go."


	5. Texas

Liberty ain't what it used to be. That's not exactly a huge, earth-shattering statement mind, but it's true nonetheless. Juni got me a Defender, tricked out like the Navy flies them, for free. I'll be in debt to her forever at this rate.

Texas is a hellhole. The crime rate soared after the Dallas disaster, long before I was born. All the money in Texas was government R&D money, and Dallas, a station working on an advanced jumpgate physics project...

It left behind two clouds of radiation and dark matter, the Pequena Negra and the Grande Negra, when Dallas had its accident. They're massive navigation hazards and they'll shred ship hulls. The government money dried up overnight, and Texas descended into poverty and crime. LPI and the Bounty Hunters Guild both have big operations in Texas, with LPI running two prison ships here. But Liberty Police Incorporated is using the population to make goods as slave labor while they're incarcerated, and both they and the Bounty Hunters can be bribed too easily by any serious criminal. LPI in New York have to maintain some semblance of professionalism.

I intend to do some exploring around Texas, but we'll see if I even try to fly into them. A lot of it will do with whether anyone else does. It'll also depend a lot on whether I can get a berth somewhere. I'm not sleeping on Houston, or LPI Sugarland and LPI Huntsville. There's a Junker base, but they're neutral in the sense they let you land; you have to protect yourself from the Rogues and Outcasts. I might have to see if I can get a berth on the _LNS Mississippi_.

* * *

><p>Penetrated the Pequena Negra briefly. It's everything it was claimed to be. I only made it about five klicks in before I turned back from hull damage. Picked up some wrecks on radar that might be worth visiting, but not this time.<p>

* * *

><p>Inbound to the South Dallas Debris Field in company with a flight of Navy fighters. They were surprisingly happy to have me tag along.<p>

* * *

><p>Had a pretty sharp fight with some Xenos in Starfliers. They're no match for Navy heavies, but they're hard to tag. Once you put a couple good volleys into them they go up, no questions asked. I'm not particular upset by this; Xenos will go after me for being from Bretonnia as much as they'll go after anyone else who isn't native-born Liberty. Some Rogues decided to stumble into the fight while it was in progress and got shellacked as well. The Navy flight leader invited me back to the <em>Mississippi<em> for drinks.

Christina Henderson. Why is it always women in uniform? She's nice enough, doesn't have that exotic Kusari look going for her like Juni does, but still good company and pretty. She's gotta be at least five years older than me, though. We didn't really flirt, just talked shop. I got my ship fixed up, and the _Mississippi_ seems happy to have me aboard for a night in exchange for a little impromptu patrol work with them, so I'm happy enough.

I got a message asking if I was going to be dropping by Pueblo again. Apparently they want to see me. Next destination there, I guess.


	6. Downtime in Colorado

"Freelancer Alpha One Dash One, this is Battleship _Mississippi_. Good luck out there. Lieutenant Commander Henderson says to look her up if you're in the neighborhood."

"Copy _Mississippi_. Fly safe." Outbound to New York again, and from there to Colorado and Pueblo Station.

Christ, there's a half-dozen Outcast Daggers at the jump gate into New York, and nobody else! I'm not even trying to fight that; I burn for the jump gate and make it just before my shields fail.

* * *

><p>"Freelancer Alpha One One, this is Pueblo Station. You have priority clearance, bay one." Now I know what a hero's welcome means. It wasn't a big crowd, only a dozen or so, but they did cheer. I got kissed rather forcefully, which isn't as much fun as it sounds. The drinks were free. Everyone wanted to chat. The bed's free too. So, it is implied, is any company I may want to keep in it.<p>

Yeah that's a little creepy. Still, the Silverton Field still has silver in it for mining, for people who are patient. And Pueblo's accommodations and everyone being happy to see me is nice. Ageria Tech's stationed a small combat wing here too, so I can always fly with them if I want.

* * *

><p>One little problem with the Silverton Field. It doesn't just have Silver in it; it has Xenos, and they aren't any more rational than any other Xenos. Killing people for the thirty square meters of silver I could fit in my hold sounds a little too Biblical, and I'm not looking for fights. The <em>LNS Rio Grande<em>'s up the trade lane from here, so I'm going to fly up and get the lay of the land from her flight team; the Navy's pilots like you if you're flying a Defender and I did work with a few of them. We'll see what's cracking around the system.

We've got Lane Hackers, Xenos, and Rogues insystem, but the Navy regards the system as quiet. LPI apparently has the opposite view and takes it because Lane Hackers regularly hand them their asses, which is not a surprise to me. The Lane Hackers never struck me as fine pilots, but they've got a degree of discipline Rogues and Xenos lack, and they've also got Border Worlds Dagger light fighters, which are not to be disrespected lightly.

Denver's still as boring as ever, but there are border worlds systems nearby...I might take a quick jaunt over there, see what's cracking, but I don't recall the border worlds having much to run. The Copperton Field might be quieter than the Silverton, but Copper's not worth as much. (Except apparently to Ageira, who's shipping it in from Leeds and will pay 400 a cubic meter!) There's no reason to go into the Alamosa Field unless you're looking for fights; no useable minerals there, but lots of Lane Hacker and Rogue activity. Only the Bounty Hunters patrol out past Denver, into the Cheyenne Field, but there's nothing out there worth having either.

I'll make a quick circuit of the system and then check in at Pueblo again.

* * *

><p>Spent a week working out of Pueblo, mainly flying either to Copperton and mining when it was quiet, or scrambling with the station defense wing to drive off Lane Hackers who got crazy ideas. Then Juni called.<p>

If I'm gonna keep doing this secret agent stuff, I'm gonna need to get a gun, so I'm headed back to New York, but I'm going to bypass Manhattan and stop off at Detroit Arms.

Imagine my surprise when I stop by, and I found it's a wholly owned subsidiary of Ageira Technologies. They just _gave_ me a gun, a match-quality of the kind that goes for a thousand creds, for saving Pueblo Station. Since Pueblo is Ageira's headquarters...

Note to self: Ageira Technologies remembers its friends. Off to see Juni.

* * *

><p>Lonnigan's not giving me my million credits. He practically held me up when I landed, waving a gun, talking crazy talk; Liberty was out to get him. He'd killed a man to escape; it was about the artifacts, somehow. He said he was warning me because he felt I was owed something. Then he ran off.<p>

Juni's in the California system, on California Minor, at the terraforming station. I heard about that project. I guess it's time to go exploring again. She got in touch with me direct...when I told her I'd think about it, she was insistent. Needed me for it, she said. We'll see.

* * *

><p>Brandon Rowlett. He was on Freeport Seven with me. We met on the rescue transport and played cards a bit. I just saw him die.<p>

He said he was being followed; that other Freeport Seven survivors were disappearing. Brandon begged me to meet him on Los Angeles. A wing of Navy Defenders turned up just after...they said he was under arrest, and ordered him to cut his engines.

He ran. They killed him with missile volleys. I was only addressed as "civilian ship" and told this was a classified Navy operation, and to keep my mouth shut. They didn't seem to know who I was.

What the hell is going on?

* * *

><p>Ran into a flight of five or six Rogues over Mojave, at the Trade Lane branch. The Liberty Navy doesn't recognize me, but these guys sure did; they knew I'd captured Sean Ashcroft and they said as much before coming at me guns blazing.<p>

Two of them died before the merge. Plasma cannons are a bitch when you're driving a Bloodhound and you're not smart enough to jink in a head-to-head. I blew the tailplane clean off another before they decided to get small and go fast. I don't carry a cruise disruptor; I'm fine with letting people go. Made sure these guys didn't think I was merciful, though, by dropping one's shields while he tried to jump to cruise.

Then I found the trade lane to California Minor was disrupted halfway there and another five Rogues waiting for me. Once is fine; you're trying to avenge your buddies. Twice is stupidity in action. I splashed four; the last one got away. Not for lack of trying to kill him; I could see black through his midships from where my last shots burned clean through him before he finally hit cruise velocity.

* * *

><p>The space over California Minor was clear, at least, and Juni was in touch from the ground. She's tight with Space Traffic Control I guess. Ashcroft talked, and they've cracked pretty much the entire artifact smuggling trade at once. They're bringing them all in, to Willard Research Station in the Tahoe Ice Cloud.<p>

I mentioned the Rogues thing, and she got very quiet. "Look, Zane, if you think I'm going to compromise the mission...these guys obviously want me dead in the worst way and they've got some way of knowing where I'm going."

"We're in trouble anyways. All the stuff we're moving? They'll come after us. Them, the Outcasts, who knows who else." Juni shook her head. "No, I'd rather have you flying with me."

"There's something else...but I think it can wait, at least for now." She's LSF, and might not be happy if I reveal Navy secrets. But if I've learned anything the last couple of weeks, if you fly combat with someone you treat them different after. "Where we going for this?"

"We'll-"

I cut her off. She looks mighty pissed. "Hold up. That news report...that's Lonnigan."

"The leader of the terrorist group The Order, Orillion, alias Sam Lonnigan."

"How do you know him?" Full LSF investigatory mode on Juni. I hate to say it, but it's kind of hot.

"He was on Freeport Seven with me. I was making a delivery to him; ore shipment, niobium, worth a million credits. He wasn't _smart_ enough to be a terrorist mastermind, Zane." An impression, but it seemed valid. He was a middle-man, for something or somebody who needed niobium for ship parts and couldn't get it the normal way. And he was chosen because he wasn't overly bright so he wouldn't ask questions and wouldn't know enough to hurt if he was interrogated. "And he was on the station during the attack. He nearly died. Does that sound like the man who runs a terrorist group that was able to shut down Manhattan orbital defenses on a whim to you?"

Juni shook her head. "No...but he might have been playing you, Trent."

"I was with him on the transport. You don't fake things like cyanosis or your heart rate and going into cardiac arrest twice while you're hooked up to monitoring gear. He barely made it through the trip, Zane." Lonnigan might have been playing my impressions, but he sure wasn't playing his injuries.

"Well, whoever he was, he's dead now." Juni dismisses it with ease. Okay, that's uncomfortable for me. "Trent...I asked you in on this one not just because King says you're a hell of a pilot. Ashcroft said there's someone on the inside of the government and it's plausible. They might even be Navy. If the convoy's hit, we'll have a very small suspect pool...but I couldn't risk bringing in someone from the inside. I needed an outsider, someone who definitely wouldn't be the leak. That's you."

"We're bait." I observe, with what I think is commendable calm. "What's our plan if the fish is too big for us, Zane?"

"That won't happen. Trust me, Trent." You're asking an awful lot, Juni. You're Secret Agent Lady, after all. "I've got a plan."

Okay. She's got a plan. And her plans...have generally been good ones so far. She may be secret agent lady, but she's been an effective operator...and her head's in the noose right next to mine. Juni's not suicidal. If she has a plan now, she thinks it'll work. "All right."


	7. Californication

We're headed to Border Station San Diego to meet a convoy; from there we'll skim along the edge of the Tahoe Ice Cloud to a passage that leads to Willard Research Station, where the Liberty Navy does all the cool research we peons aren't allowed to know about.

This is not how I'd do it, personally. Willard lies fairly close to the trade lane between California Minor and the Magellan Jump Gate/San Diego. With that in mind I'd take the trade lane and do a mid-lane-jump abort, then fly the much shorter distance. You have to fly the same distance roughly but you're exposed for much less time. Relatively few people actually think of doing a mid-lane abort too. I suggested this to Juni, and she agreed with the concept in theory, but said the transports just weren't maneuverable enough to go through the Cloud at speed unless following a path that had been cleared of large obstructions already.

Oh well. Juni says that, fortunately, they didn't have to bring the transports far, since the main hub of artifact smuggling was in Magellan and so it was only one jump. She didn't have to tell me that; she's trying to earn my trust. I wonder what it's like for her. She's not much older than I am, but she's pretty high-ranked for her job, and manifestly pretty good at being Secret Agent Lady. I wonder if she can turn off certain aspects of her job, like trying to earn people's trust so she can drill them for information.

I suspect even when this is all over, when I'm hundreds of light years and tens of years away from having ever met her, I'll never know if I saw the "real" Jun'ko Zane.

* * *

><p>Damn fool convoy left without us. They're lucky nobody jumped them while they were hanging around with their hands in their pants at the first waypoint into the Barrera Passage. Border Station San Diego was looking on high alert; I saw three wings of LPI Patriots buzzing around and readings off the station said they had more powered up inside the bays. Hopefully that's part of Juni's plan and not a sign something bad is going down elsewhere in the system.<p>

We linked up. Juni's got this habit of throwing in a jink right as she enters cruise that seriously creeps me out. I keep thinking she's spotted an inbound cruise disruptor and I start looking around in a panic. Can't fight the spike if you don't see the spike.

We're into the ice cloud, following the buoys. Two down. There's a clearing an an abandoned depot up ahead; Juni thinks that's where we'll get hit, if we get hit at all. And I'm picking up...I hate it when this happens.

Outcasts, multiple vectors, I count six Daggers inbound. The lead transport just hit a mine.

Damn! Their tachyon beams just cut through my shields like lasers through butter. I bought the wrong kind of protection for this fight. I took down one in a head-to-head but I'm spending batteries like it's going out of style. Gotta keep them off the transports; there's twenty crew on each.

I almost had one, high deflection shot, he's down a wing, but-damn damn damn! Juni needs help! Hopefully the transport's guns can finish him off. Swing around. Juni's putting on a pretty good show; she's chasing one, being chased by another, and firing in both directions with her fighter's forward guns and its turret. I pop the guy behind her with three volleys; one to drop his shields, one to wake him up, and one as he tries to jink and evade. Then it's back to chasing down the ones going for the transports. They know I'm the real danger now; if I take a shot at a guy, they break off what they're doing and come for me.

Juni called in reinforcements. She must have had them waiting close by because LPI Gamma was in the fight in seconds. I popped one more who was getting a little too eager to hit the transports and damaged some of the others to make them flinch off an attack run, but the LPI got the kills. We're moving again, LPI's on the flanks, Juni and I on close cover. Fifteen more klicks.

Willard's in sight. Never been so happy to see a Liberty Dreadnaught on station as I was to see the _LNS Harmony_. Juni said to land, we'll meet back in space in a few minutes. I told her to wait just a little longer than that.

* * *

><p>"Things are pretty weird right now, Trent, this better be good." Juni's not looking happy.<p>

"I watched the Liberty Navy kill another Freeport Seven survivor when I jumped into California to meet you. They told me not to talk about it, but...they were trying to arrest him, they said, but they weren't. Not when they salvo'd a dozen Cannonball-class missiles at a Rhino as their first option. That's a kill order." I paused a bit. "He was...he said other survivors were disappearing and he needed to talk me. After Lonnigan, now this?"

"It's worse than you realize." Juni said. "Meet me in space. We need some privacy. A secure channel."

* * *

><p>"Something is terribly wrong, Trent. When I tried to get in touch with my CO, to brief him on this operation, he'd been ordered to Manhattan. Some of my sources say he's under arrest, for treason. All my friends at LSF headquarters have been reassigned or aren't talking to me."<p>

Oh shit. Juni... "Tell me you didn't do something, Zane."

"No! Trent, seriously, why would you even think that?" Well, that got her good and mad. Hard to fake the pupil dilation too when it hit her. I'm not a secret agent, but I did make a lot of deals as a freelance cargo hauler.

"It seems likes it's aimed at you. Why else would they?" I ask. "If you haven't done something, what now?"

"I've still got other friends. There's a cruiser captain in this system, name of Walker. He's got connections who can help us sort this out. Wait one-ships on an intercept course."

"Those are Valkyries..." Rheinland military heavy fighters squawking Rheinland military IDs. Three of them.

"Rheinland ships, this is LSF Commander Jun'ko Zane. State your intentions." They're in our way, and when I fire maneuvering thrusters to slip around, one blocks me. "Rheinland ships respond."

They don't. Except on the open channel, between each other, where my comm picks it up. "Bogie in sight. Dropping the hammer."

Off to the races then. Not a moment too soon as they spray tachyon and pulse fire through the space I was occupying a moment to go. Two on me, one on Juni. Well, he's going first.

But he's not going easy. Damn, these guys are good. The Valkyrie's lost none of its charm since I first saw one in action two years ago either. I can't stay on them, they're just too maneuverable. It's snapshots or nothing. Fortunately with my plasma cannon I've got enough one-shot damage to fry a lot of shield or armor off one of these things when I tag them. Juni's smart, we set up a continuous scissors for defense and get shots where we can. It stills takes us several minutes to get all three of them.

Three of them. Three Rheinland Valkyries. Hardest fight I've ever seen. They didn't even _try_ to break it off. The last guy, he actually tried to ram me as he was dying. What the hell?

Juni, of course, has a different what-the-hell. This is an act of war. And she's got another what-the-hell beyond that: Rheinland Valkyries sent to kill an LSF commander and a freelancer, in Liberty, while the LSF command structure is apparently in chaos. That's too much to be coincidence and too disconnected from everything else to be _anything_ but coincidence. Real-life paradox. We're pressing on to reach Walker, who's waiting on California Minor.


	8. The Edge of the Abyss

Walker seems like a decent sort. He actually asked me if I'd like to join up with the Liberty Navy. I turned that down, politely. There's lots of things that I like about the Liberty Navy, honestly, but there's lots of things I don't like about Liberty itself. And there's the little kill order incident. Didn't mention anything about that stuff, mind. Walker's a nice guy, but he's also a patriot. You can tell when he talks about people who he sees as enemies of his nation and his people; disgust, and cold determination.

I also noticed he calls Juni "Jun'ko" in conversation and she doesn't get pissed at him. I call her "Zane" because I don't want to sound too close mostly, and I know that other people who call her Jun'ko get in deep trouble with her. Not Walker. He's technically old enough to be her dad, and he's says he's known her for years. Juni just says she's worked with him and knows she can trust him. Friend of the family? Related? Juni's definitely of Kusari descent but her family ended up in Liberty _somehow_...

This secret agent stuff is contagious. I need to get back into space and meet up with them before I start coming up with real conspiracy theories.

* * *

><p>"Juni, this is King."<p>

"King?" Juni seems surprised. I keep my mouth shut.

"After you called I asked around. I was able to confirm your CO is in prison. There's been a major shakeup in the leadership of the LSF." King seems...subdued. It's unnatural, from him.

"That's just the tip of the iceburg. We were attacked by Rheinland Valkyries."

"Rheinlanders? What?" There's the old King.

"Don't know. I'll be in touch after our rendezvous."

"Juni, Walker, switching to a private channel. My cruiser group was given orders to report to spacedock for inspection." Walker sounds...suspicious.

"What? Did they give a reason why?" Oh Juni. We're for it now. Somebody's cutting us off...keep looking up Trent. If you spot the hammer coming down, you might be able to dodge it...

"They said there were inconsistencies in our maintenance records. Don't know why, we refitted the group only two months ago. We're supposed to depart in a half hour-"

"This is Research Station Willard! We're under attack!" Oh boy. Never a dull moment here.

Walker switched to an open channel. "To hell with spacedock. All ships, go to battle stations and set course. Willard, this is Liberty Cruiser Attack Group South, Captain Walker speaking. What's your status?"

"We're under attack by Rheinland vessels, several gunboats and fighter wings. Several torpedoes have hit the _Harmony_ and she's on the ropes. The station is on fire, automated defense are failing, and our fighter group is getting shot down like flies!" Jesus! Willard has a regular Navy squadron. _Harmony_ must have several fighter wings as well.

"Hang in there Willard. We're a couple of minutes out, hold them off."

"Willard, we're a minute out."

"Two more torpedoes have hit the station. We have plasma leaks in multiple sections. Hurry!"

"My god..." Yeah, that about sums it up.

The _Harmony_'s hurt, but not bad. She's trying to close the station to help defend it, but a team of three Rhineland gunboats is tearing at her, and whenever _Harmony_ gets too close they launch a torpedo volley that forces her back. I count a dozen Valkyries in the air, maybe more. Willard's still firing but only a couple of the turrets seem to still work. Two Navy Defenders are huddled up close to the _Harmony_, using the bigger ship's guns to protect them from the swarm of Rhineland fighters.

I am staring into the face of madness.

There has been only one inter-House war. Partway through the 80 Years War between Rhineland and the Gas Miners Guild, Rhineland tried to hit GMG targets in Kusari space. The Kusari, naturally, objected by force of arms and inter-house war broke out briefly. Briefly because every trade lane and jump gate in the Colonies runs on proprietary Ageira technology. Liberty and Bretonia were both in an economic slump and Kusari and Rhineland thought there was nothing they could do military-wise. They were wrong: Liberty nationalized Ageira Technologies and _shut down_ every jump gate in both nations. They rapidly concluded a peace treaty before their citizens started starving.

The Boorman Treaty, which ended the 80 Years War long before I was born, formally outlawed armed conflict between the Houses. The lesson here was pretty simple: not only is this illegal to have inter-House conflicts, we have the means to enforce its illegality. Don't start a war unless you're certain Liberty will support you, and _definitely_ don't start a war with Liberty.

Rhineland is starting a war with Liberty, right here and right now. The face of madness, like I said.

"Cruisers, screen the _Harmony_. Fighters, intercept torpedoes and take out those gunboats." One thing I'll say for Walker: the man has it together when the chips are down. He took one look at a situation so absurd as to be impossible and then started issuing orders like he'd been planning for this his whole life. Juni's on a gunboat, and I'm on whatever comes after her; two fighters later the Rhinelanders seem to realize I'm the dangerous one and come after me instead, so we switch places and I take out the gunboat while Juni kills the fighters. With one gunboat down, a wing of Rhineland torpedo bombers enters the field and Walker pulls me and Juni off the gunboats to stop them. They think they'll just get by us at cruise and go for Walker's cruisers. They're wrong. I killed one before the merge and cruise disruptor'd another, leaving him hanging there looking stupid before his cockpit was cracked by Juni's guns. The cruisers are mauling everything on the field, Rhinelander gunboats are just no match for them.

Walker's second cruiser, the _Ohio_, takes a hit from a Rhineland torpedo, but bulls through it; the gunboat makes the mistake of crossing in front of the _Ohio_ and gets a taste of a Liberty Cruiser's main gun. The ship's entire bow is built around this gun, for the record. A second later, there is no Rhineland gunboat. _Harmony_'s flak and the cruisers' flak is combined, creating a bubble inside which any Rhineland fighter is soon dead, and Juni and I plus the Navy guys are getting the upper hand around Willard.

It takes another thirty seconds and four kills before I run out of targets. These pilots weren't as good as the ones that ambushed me and Juni, or we'd all be dead, but they weren't bad either.

"Trent, you okay?" Juni asks.

My hands are shaking. I have to take a few breaths so I'll sound normal when I reply. "Yeah. You okay Juni?"

"Just barely. That got pretty rough. I'm transferring your payment now; you definitely went above and beyond. I'd be writing a medal commendation if you were LSF. Walker and I are going to sort this out; his cruisers will be staying here for awhile so their damage control teams can help Willard and the _Harmony_." She paused. "You're on your own, for a bit. But keep in touch, all right? I'll give you secure comm details if you'll land a moment."

"Sure thing." There's a drink and a rack on Pueblo Station I want pretty bad right now, but they can wait a moment.


	9. Waiting for the Hammer

The bloody Rogues! I was ambushed twice just trying to get out of California, once on the trade lane from California Minor to Mojave, and a second time above Mojave. I took three down hard during the trade lane thing and two more over Mojave; a Universal Shipping convoy shot down the other two. There were _another_ two at California to New York jump gate but also so many convoy ships around they decided to run away rather than fight all the convoy escorts.

All the stupid things on the news about LPI tripling its presence in California while the _LNS Yukon_ was in drydock may be true, but they sure aren't doing it around the places the _Yukon_'s fighter wings would have patrolled.

The trip across New York is quiet enough at least. But there were two more of the bastards on the trade lane to Pueblo inside Colorado. These two didn't seem to expect to catch a Defender, and promptly ran.

* * *

><p>Pueblo was a sight for sore eyes. I'd been on the move all day, and it gets pretty sore when you're pumping adrenaline a lot but not moving. I docked up; they still remember me here, so I got a discount on the bunk. Called Juni before I turned in for the night. She was happy to hear from me; in fact, I think I may have been the only friendly face she saw all day. She seems worried and told me to stay close to my comm.<p>

* * *

><p>Got eight hours before I scrambled to defend Pueblo from a Lane Hackers attack. Four ships. They were <em>not<em> ready for the first thing that scrambled to be a Defender with top of the line weaponry. Splashed one with my first shots, he'd already gotten a bit messed up by the station guns and he snapped in half just behind the cockpit. The others ran for it while the Ageira Startrackers got into space. Not my favorite way to wake up. I'm gonna head on up to the _Rio Grande_ and get the Defender looked at; she felt a little sluggish.

* * *

><p>Well, I know what was wrong now. I had an unexploded Javelin missile in my thruster vector plates! Navy tech who saw it damn near had a heart attack before he called EOD. Once EOD got it out they took it apart and then the techs went to work checking out the Defender for damage.<p>

The EOD guys offered me the missile's fuze as a souvenir; said it's a complete dud, totally safe. I'm not sure why I took him up on it, but I did. I'll have to tell Juni about this one. Going to hit the bar and talk to the flight group.

Me and my thing for women in uniform. I got talked into taking a job to fly support for a Liberty Navy wing going after some Lane Hackers, but this brunette with shoulder-length hair tucked back behind her ears. Lieutenant Cynthia Henderson. She'll be flying lead.

We launch in thirty minutes.

* * *

><p>Well, that was a clusterfuck. There were three of us to start, but it didn't last that way. We got into the mission area, sure enough, half-dozen Lane Hackers. I go head-to-head with a pair and down one, but the Navy guy, Packard, he gets clobbered and punches out. I manage to tractor him before any of the Hackers kill him, while Cynthia puts another Hacker down hard. I manage to crack one's cockpit with a high-deflection shot; didn't kill him, somehow, but he's going home before his flight suit gives out. Lucky son of a bitch.<p>

I got on another one and pounded him to scrap with four or five volleys, and Cynthia got another, but then she got clobbered with a missile and also had to punch out. I just barely managed to tractor her; one of damn Hackers launched a missile at her lifepod. Last Hacker decided to get small and go fast after I blew his left wing off, but he didn't make it to cruise before I put another set of shots in him and he blew up.

In the end, I was the only one to return to the _Rio Grande_ under their own power. Packard got lucky, but Cynthia's in the ship's sickbay for a nasty bump on her head from the ejection. She did ask me to look her up once she's fit to fly again. I'm headed back to Pueblo to check in with Juni and rack out.

* * *

><p>Juni didn't answer. I left her a message to call if she's alive.<p>

Shit. Is the hammer coming down now? I don't know. I'm tired, but I can't stay on Pueblo. Too many people know me here. I've gotta go somewhere else.

The Rogues may be thick as fleas in California, but California Minor's under the control of Planetform; they're a Bretonnia company. Friendly accents to me. I'll go there, make myself useful, make a few friends. I'm not cutting and running out of Liberty quite yet...stupid of me, maybe, but Juni said she would need my help. If she doesn't answer soon I'll have to rethink.

Moving out now. New York jumpgate is next.

* * *

><p>Made the jump. God, I hope I'm not flying as paranoid as I feel. Bypassing Manhattan itself means flying past West Point, Norfolk Shipyard and the <em>Missouri<em>, and Fort Bush. If somebody really is dropping the hammer on me, I've given them plenty of places to do it...

Oh shit! Xenos, at least eight of them coming out of the Badlands. Gotta get out of here!

Damn, that was close. I hit cruise and then my shields popped, so I threw in some jinks and got away. Didn't even try for the first trade lane ring while under fire, just hauled ass for the second and jumped into the lane there. They ought to put the _LNS Unity_ back on gate guard duty here; the damn Colorado gate's the most dangerous place in New York and there's never a patrol up.

* * *

><p>Into California now, headed to Mojave. Traditionally, and I can't believe I have to say that, there are Rogues over Mojave. We'll see.<p>

...they were one trade lane ring out from it. Just to keep things interesting, I suppose. Three Rogues. They bit off more than they could chew, though I only splashed one; a big Universal Shipping convoy with four transports and eight escorts appeared from the opposite direction I did and swarmed at them as they tried to run from me. It was over really quick. On to California Minor.

Son of a bitch, they must have been scouts. There were eight more Rogues waiting for me. I splashed two but the other six were tearing me to shreds. Fortunately they're still not smart enough to pack cruise disruptors and they couldn't stop me getting away. I made it to California Minor safe. I'm going to rack out in my ship and then look for a mission or something.


	10. Hammer Fall

Juni called a couple of hours after I got to sleep. She said she'd be out of touch for two days, but if she didn't call me by 1700 on Thursday then I should get as far away from Liberty as I can. She sounds scared, and I...I'm not crazy enough to try and reassure her. She's the one in this relationship who does the reassuring right now. Maybe if we were in Bretonia, that'd be different.

Did tell if she needs me I'll come running. That...actually did improve her mood, which is probably a bad sign. I went back to sleep for a couple more hours and then picked up a short-term escort contract from Planetform, Cali Minor to Los Angeles and back. Splashed two Rogues over Los Angeles clearing the way for the transports to land; the other two escort flight guys never even got into the fight in their Startrackers. Got hit by a pair of Lane Hacker Daggers on the way back. They did not expect a Defender as part of the escort; I blew off one guy's right wing and he decided to bug out. The other guy...well, he decided the correct answer to my not cruise-disruptoring and killing his buddy was to put a missile through one of the Planetform Startrackers' cockpit. The Lane Hacker lived about fifteen seconds after that.

I've flown a few more escorts since, but we haven't been bothered much. One of the execs on the project just turned up looking for me, though...

* * *

><p>Apparently a Lane Hacker stole some critical project data. They want me to go get it back, because they think I'll survive the attempt and their own pilots wouldn't.<p>

Made intercept over Mojave. There were half-a-dozen Rogues and a police wing (that's a bloody first!) tangling when I arrived, spotted my target when he arrived about fifteen seconds later. Near-run thing. He tried to jump to cruise but didn't make it, and didn't survive the head-to-head. I tractored the stuff and rolled in to help the police wing, though they had things pretty well in hand.

Planetform's handed out a few strike ops, basically, against Rogue ship groups. At this point I think it's fair to say that that the problems between me and the Liberty Rogues have reached the scale of vendetta, so I took them. I've probably added twenty kills to the record running these missions, and the escorts I'm on are noticeably more quiet than they should be according to the transport drivers.

Juni ought to be calling real soon.

* * *

><p>Juni was early by six hours. She's definitely scared. She said to meet her on Manhattan and not delay. Outbound from California Minor. Rogues better not be over Mojave again; I don't have time for them.<p>

They weren't. A miracle that is.

* * *

><p>Something's up. There's a lot of Navy activity over the gate, and I'm being followed. Bounty Hunter ship, and I think I know who. Saw her around the bar a few times on California Minor. I'd say she looked like an ex-Outcast, with her tats, but there's no such thing as an "ex" Outcast. They need Cardamine like they need air; the drug's altered their biochemistry so much that if they go into withdrawal they'll die.<p>

Lot of Navy activity over Manhattan too...don't normally see that, police wings, trade groups, yes, Navy...no. This is the heavy end of the hammer, right here. I can feel it. It's hovering. I'm going to willingly stick my head under it.

I'm a fool.

* * *

><p>Juni was waiting <em>at my landing pad<em>. Secret Agent Lady indeed. In fact, her ship was there as well...lucky guess? No. Not with her. She arranged this. She's also wearing a gunbelt and holster. That's new.

"Juni, what's going on?" Her LSF jumpsuit doesn't look like it's been cleaned in awhile. The big bulky vest, which I've always suspected is actually body armor dressed up nice, isn't as dirty. What the hell does that mean?

"Over here." She moves us to a place between her ship and a pile of crates, out of easy view from anywhere. Definitely worried. Moving fast too.

"What's wrong?" I pat my side; the Detroit Arms gun is still there. If I have to go through customs I can't take it, but I haven't yet.

"Nothing. Something." A pause, frustration and something else. "I don't know yet!" Ouch. Snappish.

"You needed me for something." Keep her focused. She's on the edge, and looking close she's got makeup under her eyes; first I've seen her wear, aside from lipstick. Juni's not been sleeping and is trying to hide it.

"Ashcroft's missing! He was on a Liberty dreadnaught in a maximum-security cell surrounded by armed guards. Trent, you don't escape from that! After our last assignment and the Rheinlander fracas I had more questions for him about his Rheinland connections. When I got there, he was _gone_."

"Not transferred by your higher-ups? Things have been weird, Juni." I remind her gently.

"Every record of his arrest, how it happened, it's all gone. The entire attack on Pueblo, nothing. The wing of four LSF pilots who died at Pueblo before you got there never existed! And it's worse, Walker's gone."

That got my attention. My stint with Planetform clued me in to a lot of things about that area of space. Walker's actually a big deal; he's turned down a battleship command twice to stay with his cruiser group. He's lead multiple successful operations in the Border Worlds, including one op where he went sixteen-for-zero against a Corsair attack group. That takes real skill; it also takes big brass balls. "That's impossible. Naval captains don't vanish. Especially not ones like Walker."

"Neither do their ships! The _Utah_ is listed as having been lost, Trent. Not recently; five years ago. People around us are disappearing."

Son of a-There's the hammer, and it is _definitely_ coming down. "We're here. What's our play?"

"Find Walker. He never left California, so that's where we start." I'd prefer if the answer was to get out of Liberty, but it looks like no. Still...I know where at least one Jump Hole out of California is. If the worst happens, I know where we run to. "Watch the ships. I've got to take care of a little business; shouldn't be more than five minutes."

"Watch your ass, Juni." I warn.

* * *

><p>Dude's wearing an IMG overcoat, and he's saying my name. "Mister Trent! It's very important that you and I speak."<p>

Yeah. Sure it is. That accent; he's Bretonian, no big surprise from an Independent Miner's Guild guy. I take a couple of steps forward and undo the holster flap on my gun. "Why would that be?"

He backs underneath Juni's Defender. "Because we're the last two." Also makes a come-here gesture. I don't take the suggestion; catch me going somewhere not easily seen with strangers? Now? Yeah right.

"Last two what?" I know this guy from somewhere. Back in Bretonia? I never hit the big IMG bases in the Omega systems or the _Hood_. But there are always some of them around Leeds and Cambridge.

"Freeport Seven survivors, Mister Trent. We're the last ones in Liberty. Everyone else is either dead, or missing."

Ah...yeah, rescue ship. He was watching me and Rowlett play cards. "So talk."

"I'm a thief, Mister Trent. They were looking for something. I came to Freeport 7 to deliver something; an object wanted very badly by a person." Well, at least...wait. If it was worth blasting a Freeport, then whatever this guy stole is worth a whole lot. Maybe not fate-of-nations lot, but still. You don't kill six thousand people for the hell of it. "Apparently they weren't alone... It's about this." Artifact. Egg-shaped, purple, brass setting around the middle.

"I'm working with the LSF. This isn't very smart, telling me." Hand close to the holster. You don't draw; the holster rotates. It's not supposed to be accurate; it's supposed to make the guy stop while you get the gun out. Outcast trick supposedly.

"You're a Freeport Seven survivor. You have a ship. To who else should I turn. We need to get as far away from here as possible-" His eyes go wide. He turns and starts moving and I start moving after him when-

Son of a bitch, that's a gunshot. I can't see, I don't have a hope in hell of turning and outdrawing the guy behind me when he's already got it pointed at my back. Hands in the air. "I can explain."

"I have my orders." Glance over the shoulder...Liberty Navy. Alone? I think he's alone. "Eyes front!"

"Freeze soldier! This man is a freelancer working on assignment with the Liberty Security Force." Oh thank god, it's Juni.

"I found him dealing in illegal artifacts!" Can't see. Don't dare turn my head again, this guy's hopped up on something good. Maybe it's his own adrenal response but seriously, he's as twitchy as I've ever seen somebody get.

"Then arrest him." Oh _thanks_ Juni.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Soldier, you are bound by Liberty Code to uphold the law. If he's a suspect, take him into custody. The law ensures his safety and a fair trial." Oh! Thanks Juni.

"Not anymor-" A shot. I'm not dead; I spin around, drawing, down on one knee. Juni's still up. The guy's going down at my feet.

"He was going to kill me!" Juni doesn't comprehend. "He was going to kill us. Who was that guy?" She gestures to the thief. I don't know his name. Somehow it seems important I should know his name, but I don't.

Irrational thoughts there me. Oh, that hammer, it's getting real close... "Juni, I don't know, but he's dead. We're going to be dead too if we stay. We have to get out of Liberty."

"What about Walker?" She's protesting. I'm not surprised. Juni's a patriot too; she believes in her nation, as she probably has to so she can do her job. The fact it's turned on her hasn't set in.

That's gonna be a mess when it happens. "We're no good to him dead, and that goon wasn't alone I bet. We need to grab some time and some distance, stick together to sort this out."

"Okay." She's not sure about this but it's hard to avoid the logic. "I know a place." Now we hope the Navy isn't about to drop on our heads as we launch...


	11. Hammer Impact

"What's the plan?" Juni said she had had a plan.

"First to Fort Bush, and then to the Badlands-"

"This is the Liberty Navy! Cut your engines!"

Oh god. We're dead.

The _LNS Unity_ is in front of the trade lane to West Point and is launching fighters. A cruiser, _LNS Twilight_, is in front of Fort Bush trade lane and her fighter escort of at least six Defenders is headed this way. We're dead. That's it. It's over.

Bugger this for a lark. I suddenly get very stubborn, and that Navy guy right there pays for it with four volleys in a head-to-head. Loop out, split-s. Blap the one after Juni. My shields are holding, just barely, but I'm burning thruster power like it's going out of style. I'll run out and die quick.

_Make me,_ you sons of whores. "There's too many, I don't see how we get out of this!" Juni's not shooting much. I guess she's given up, but she's still flying defensive at least. Oh, that one's not got his head in the game right, he's focused on the not-a-threat; now he's dead. More of them launching from Manhattan. Only twenty fighters? Oh, you'll all regret that like your three, no, four dead friends did briefly. These guys don't fly half as well as the wings off the _Rio Grande_; if you all were fighting Outcasts or Corsairs you'd be dead already.

What, did the Liberty Navy send only rookies after me? I'm insult-there goes the thruster. I'm out. _Unity_'s in range. This will be over-

"Juni, this is King. Head for West Point. We'll take care of the battleship."

The LNS _Utah_. King, in a Defender rather than his usual patriot. A dozen Defenders squawking IDs of Cruiser Attack Group South. The _Utah_ and Walker demonstrate why it is a bad idea to piss off your most brilliant naval commander when he has access to the largest gun in the Colonies.

"_Unity_ here, we are taking-" An explosion. "General order, all hands abandon ship, all hands-" The _Unity_ is breaking up. That's...three thousand people. They were at battle stations. Some of them will have been suited up and survived, but...most of them are dead now.

"Juni, Trent, head for West Point. King, you go with them." Walker's still got that command voice; he is In Control and Knows What He Is Doing. The _LNS Twilight_ is coming up, and fires at the _Utah_. It misses somehow.

"What about you?" Juni asks.

"I'll be fine. Go!" No arguing with that man. We hit the trade lane.

Westpoint has two wings of fighters in the air, but they're small. We can probably take them, but the station is another matter, it's spewing fire everywhere. It may be an academy, but it's still a military installation. Gotta run. Trade lane again. King breaks off to meet up with Walker near Detroit.

"Trent, I'm sending you coordinates. You're going to meet an old friend of mine." Okay Juni, I hope he's trustworthy.

* * *

><p>"Approaching ships, this is a restricted area. Turn around at once." Oh great, Juni's plan-<p>

"Doctor van Pelt? It's Jun'ko, Jun'ko Zane."

"Juni?" Okay maybe it's not bad. "I've heard the news about you on the secure channel. What is going on?"

"I can't explain like this; we need a place to hide." True enough. Badlands are full of EM disturbance and particulate and asteroids, but I don't want to be out here.

"You are cleared to land. I'll meet you on the deck."

* * *

><p>"Juni, the secure channel is buzzing with reports about you." An older man; much older. He has the tell-tale marks of anti-aging treatments; this guy could be anything from 70 to 200.<p>

"Professor, this is my friend, Trent." Juni waves to me.

"van Pelt's the name, young man. Juni, you must explain this. They're saying you're an armed and dangerous fugitive!" Not one to be deterred.

"I don't know-" Okay, Trent, time for the big reveal.

"I think it's related," I fish the artifact out of my coat, "to this."

Van Pelt sets up some gear and analyzes away happily for a bit. "Artifact, very old, but still active. Hmm. You might try Quintaine."

"What?" Juni's losing it. That's a name, not a place...

"Not what dear, who. Quintaine is a respected xenoarcheologist in Cambridge. He could help you identify it." Dear? Once again, I'm forced to wonder about Juni's possibly familial relationship with an older man.

"I don't want to identify it, I want to get rid of it!" Crap. Not meltdown but we're getting real close now.

"We can't do that, Juni." Calm, keep it calm. "Not now. If we keep it, at least we've got a bargaining chip."

"I'm afraid your young man," I really do not know how I feel about that description, "is right dear. You will both be safer in Bretonia. Now, how to get you there."

"**Liberty patrol approaching.**"

"They must have followed you somehow. I'm setting the automated defenses to cover your retreat. They _never_ come out this far."

"What about you?" Juni's worried about him. Hell, _I'm_ worried about him and I've only known the guy for forty minutes.

"I'm an old man facing two violent criminals. I'll be fine. You _must_ go. There's a jumpgate to Magellan, here. It hasn't been used since the disaster that destroyed Ithaca, but it still works." Ithaca Station. I remember reading something about that, that was before the 80 Years War-

Holy shit. van Pelt has to be close to 200 years old...

* * *

><p>"Renegade ships-"<p>

Tell it to someone who cares, nancy boy. Juni's urging Van Pelt to come with us; Van Pelt's telling us to go; I'm blasting Defenders, but these guys are a better class of pilot. And they're armed like the wings off the _Rio Grande_, plasma weapons...bloody hell those hurt. My shields went down twice in as many seconds and I've only got them up now because I spent all my batteries.

Three cruisers-they're firing on Benford Station! Oh god-Juni, hold it together. Hold it together. Come on, don't crack now. She's not moving. Neither are the Liberty ships...

"Commander Zane, cut your engines and surrender."

"They'll pay for this. Trent, cruise engines. Let's go." Thank _god._

Gate ahead. They didn't chase us...jump gate is active. It still works. We might survive this.

* * *

><p>We made it. Freeport Four here we come...<p>

Me and my mouth. Ten Bounty Hunter lights, Piranhas. There's a million-credit bounty on each of us, dead. We roll in, but we're losing this one. I got two kills, but chasing one...shields down...he dropped a mine.

My right wing's gone. I don't know how I can be so calm. Nanobots are patching the hull together but I'm going to run out.

"Bounty Hunters, cease fire. These ships are under the protection of the Lane Hackers!"

_Say what?_


	12. Escape to Bretonia

We just got saved by a squad of Lane Hacker Daggers. In their words, "The enemies of Liberty are our friends." We're headed to their base, Mactan, which I've heard of, but never seen. Few people have I suspect.

My Defender is sick. I'm down to two packs of nanobots. My right wing and the Magma Hammer plasma cannon mounted there are gone. The main drive is making these hiccupping noises that scare the hell out of me. Unhappy plasma is bad plasma. My Warning Board is lit up like an electronics store at Christmas. I'm probably lucky the fighter hasn't just blown the hell up on me. The head Lane Hacker wants to talk to Juni; I'm going to see if this thing can be fixed in a reasonable timeframe and send a message to my uncle Tobias to expect us.

* * *

><p>They gave me a new Defender they were using for false-flag stuff, and I gave them five thousand creds to cover repairing mine. Considering the ship new costs about twice that, and repairs are cheap with nanofabricated parts, they're getting a pretty sweet deal. I need to get a new ship with a new ID squawk, though, or I'm going to have Bounty Hunters on me thick as fleas. They couldn't arrange that.<p>

Something...just hit the station. Sounded like a torpedo. Hot launch time. Four Rhineland Valkyries. Mactan is still manning fighters and turrets. I jump one that some of the active turrets are shooting at and pop him with a cockpit shot, then slot in behind another who's setting up for a torpedo run and blow him apart with two volleys. Lane Hacker fighters start to launch as I get on the third and pound him. He evades the second volley, but not the other two after it. These guys aren't very good. The Lane Hackers are all over the last guy with turrets and fighters, but I still manage to get the killshot somehow.

Juni wants to split up, with me setting up a safehouse in Leeds for us and her heading to Cambridge to find Professor Quintaine. I'm not for that, because...well because I think Juni's handling now, but she's about to come apart. So...

"Jun'ko." Oh, that intake of breath. She's about to snarl at me. "Look, I haven't got a better way to indicate I want to have a realtalk moment with you, okay? You can't cope forever by keeping busy. When this all catches up...promise me you'll call. I'll call you. Okay?"

"Trent, if you think I'm some crybaby-"

"Your whole nation, to which you dedicated your life, just turned on you." Saying it may not be smart; maybe she hasn't processed it and I'm forcing her to. But I don't know what else to do. "And we don't even know why. Don't bullshit with me, Juni. I'm on the edge and I didn't have nearly as much to lose. Promise you'll call me."

She sighs. Juni doesn't believe me it's going to happen. "I'll call you."

Leeds. Smog clouds. In space. Yeah, it's that bad. Bretonnia was founded last of the major houses. Some things were necessary to catch up. Some, especially now, happened because Bretonia Mining and Metals doesn't always manage to give a damn. Still, BMM isn't the monster it used to be in most ways. The Founders' Day Revolt made sure of that. If you're a spacer or employed on space work, they manage to treat you like a real person. The ground based operations...it's being worked on.

Tobias was waiting. He had some sharp words; I pointed out I had more than 100k creds to my name, a ship, and a combat record. He gave me a load of fertilizers for the money and the ship, considering the million-credit deal I left on. I pointed out it's not my fault Freeport 7 blew up. Naturally the Liberty most wanted thing came up...but he was softening out. Tobias raised me, after the shuttle accident to my parents. He's a good man, in the end, worried about me. And I'm glad. Plus, he was Bretonia Armed Forces. He knows being blooded means something.

He told me to get a new ship, and tried to give me some cash, but I told him that wasn't necessary. I can pay for it. Outbound to New London to see what's on offer. If I want a heavy fighter again I'll have to get a Crusader...the damn thing looks awful, but I guess I don't have a choice unless I grab a Clydesdale and fly cargo.

I guess I'll suffer the looks. The closest source is...

Shit. The closest source is probably the _Essex_ in Dublin. I'm not going in there.

* * *

><p>Bretonia. Home. I didn't leave to get away, but somehow being home isn't filling me with nostalgia. I was born on Leeds; I've lived there or Cambridge.<p>

Bretonia, like Liberty, has its problems. Ironically, in some ways it's better off, a fact that can be put down entirely to its style of government. Bretonia is a constitutional monarchy, in theory. In practice, power resides in the civil service and the office of the monarchy. It's not that Parliament does not have fangs; it's that the Parliament hasn't gotten off it's ass and actually governed the House in four generations, so the task of keeping Bretonia running falls to Queen Carina and her duly appointed representatives.

Fortunately for the population Her Majesty is roughly my age and an idealist; her position allows her to cut through the red tape around the Royal Charters that let Bretonia Mining and Metals run roughshod over Leeds and Dublin. Life expectancy is up, poverty and planetside crime is down.

That just means the criminals are in space. We have the Gaians, a misplaced environmental effort against all terraformation, including that of worlds which never played home to life. We have the Mollys, the remains of the Founders' Day Revolt in Dublin who are fighting a long, bitter, incredibly bloody to civilians, and largely unsuccessful war to secede. From out of the depths Corsairs and Outcasts both have a presence too.

I just picked up a BMM contract for some escort runs, Leeds to Stokes Smelter to LD-14. Interestingly, they appeared to know about my Liberty warrants. Also interestingly, they appeared not to care save that it established my credentials as a combat pilot. Apparently the Ageira Technologies local rep on New London contacted the Crown Prosecution Service and vouched for my good conduct, including a statement obtained in confidence from certain members of the Liberty Navy.

Thank you, Christina and Cynthia. Wherever you are.

* * *

><p>They call working LD-14 "short time"; triple pay, but the radiation levels from work with uranium age people dramatically even at safe dosages and with modern pharmaceuticals to keep them healthy. The station produces one of Bretonia's three main exports: MOX, which is UO2, oxidized uranium, around a small amount of plutonium. Minimally radioactive itself, it provides the fuel that powers large starships and heavy smelter platforms across the colonies.<p>

The station, because it processes material useful for weapons of mass destruction to planetary targets, is also heavily secured...though in ten out of ten launches from LD-14 I have immediately rolled in on Mollys attacking the facility. Launching from LD-14 is the most dangerous part of the run on the Leeds-Stokes-LD-14 and back trip. I'm running with Gateway Shipping convoys; they ship to Kusari and the Border Worlds only, but I'm just covering this part. They actually don't have the major part of the contract for shipping out of LD-14; that's Border World Exports, which holds most of BMM's contracts.

Gateway, though, is good people. Bowex, like BMM itself, will eagerly throw its freelancers under the metaphorical bus to save itself. Gateway has your back when you've got theirs and offers service to small companies Bowex wouldn't even pick up the phone for.

* * *

><p>Stokes isn't turning out to be very safe either. Because it's situated on the main shipping line, there's always a lot of traffic, and most of that traffic is usually either dogfighting with or firing its turrets at Molly ships attacking them or Stokes Smelter itself. It's not as constant as the attacks at LD-14, and you can definitely have a quiet transit of the Stokes waypoint. But it's still amazingly common.<p>

I've completed my week-long contract there with Gateway, and am outbound to check in on some of the other Bretonia systems. Edinburgh first. If the Molly problem is really this bad...or are they desperate? It's been generations, the Mollys are entirely spaceborne and heavily dependent, and there were only so many of them. With the changes to operating practices and the way things are getting better thanks to Queen Carina, it's got to be harder to recruit now that BMM has to treat people better, too. They might be lashing out because they're seeing the inevitable loss by attrition approaching.


End file.
